Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Black Boy, My History with Blackface

The Black Boy told by Ileen Wardle

At the farm the kids would often get into things and make a mess of them. This story is about Weldon. When he was six he tried to change the color of Billy’s skin who was three at the time.
This story was told to me by my mother:
Dad had just finished changing the oil in the tractor, and left the bucket of drained oil in his shop. Weldon, his friend and Billy were playing around in Dad’s shop, and found the bucket of oil. Weldon and his friend got a couple of paint brushes, and began to paint Billy with the oil from his head to his feet. No one knows why Billy just stood there and let them do it.
When I [mother] saw Billy he looked just like a colored boy; with his black hair and face; he was black everywhere. I had to throw his clothes away, and use comet on him to get the oil off.

About Me

We are the Wardles. I am Billy. We are the parents of 8, one in Heaven
(stillborn,) 6 birth and 1 adopted. Four are away from home, two
daughters married and two sons in the Logan area going to school. Tony,
our adopted son is 11 years younger than our youngest birth child, so
he is greatly spoiled. I have worked for the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Utah State Social Services, part of the time working with the Ute Tribe, Uintah Basin Counseling and Santa Clara County Mental Health for the last 21 years. Active Mormon and I follow the prophet.